Metadiscourse Markers and Visual Elements in International Business Magazine Advertisements: A Study of The Finance and Media Industries
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Abstract
This study investigates the use of Interactional Metadiscourse Markers (IMMs) and visual grammar elements in international business magazine advertisements from two key industries: finance and media. Drawing on Hyland’s (2005) Metadiscourse Model and Kress and van Leeuwen’s (2006) Grammar of Visual Design (GVD), the researcher explores how linguistic and visual features are strategically employed to persuade readers. Thirty English-language advertisements, 15 from each industry and published in Forbes Asia, were analyzed using a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative findings reveal that while self-mentions are the most frequently used IMMs in both industries (39 times in finance, 42 times in media), the media sector shows a higher frequency of attitude markers (22 times) and self-mentions, whereas the finance sector employs more engagement markers (30 times) and boosters (21 times). Hedges were rarely used in both sectors (3 times in finance, 1 time in media). The qualitative findings explain how IMMs serve distinct communicative purposes across industries. The visual analysis indicates that finance advertisements emphasize credibility and authority through formal layouts and indirect gazes, while media advertisements use vivid colors, direct gazes, and expressive visuals to build interpersonal connection. This study contributes to multimodal discourse analysis and offers practical implications for international advertising strategies.
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